math_physics_problemswikiaorg-20200215-history
Timeline of Chinese Mathematics
By: Tao Steven Zheng | Shang 商''' '''(1600 – 1046 BC) | c. 1300 BC: Oracle bones indicate the earliest use of a decimal place value system, with records of one year being 365.25 days |- | Western Zhou ' '西周 (1046 – 771 BC) | c. 1000 BC: Astronomical conversations between the Duke of Zhou and Shang Gao, with possibly the first statement of the gougu (Pythagorean) theorem in China c. 9th century BC: Zhou Yi ''64 hexagrams represent the permutations of a binary set |- | '''Spring-Autumn' Period ' '春秋 (770 – 476 BC) | c. 650 BC: First reference to the Lo Shu 3x3 magic square. 6th century BC: Laozi mentions the use of counting rods in the Daodejing c. 500 BC: Confucian school of thought promote the study of mathematics under the “Six Arts” |- | Warring States ' '戰國 (475 – 221 BC) | c. 450 – 250 BC: Mohist contributions to the study of logic, physics, and geometry were compiled in the'' Mojing'' 305 BC: Tsinghua bamboo strips: oldest decimal multiplication table excavated to date |- | Qin ' '秦 (221 – 206 BC) | 213 BC: Burning of books |- | Han ' '漢 (206 BC – 220 AD) | c. 200 BC: Negative numbers used in ancient China c. 200 BC – 186 BCE: Completion of the Suan Shu Shu, which includes the earliest usage of the double false position method c. 170 BC: Zhang Cang is credited for reconstructing the Jiuzhang Suanshu after the burning of books'' '''2nd century BC': Earliest description of the Chinese abacus, and perhaps the study of modular congruences for calendrics c. 100 BC – 100 AD: Completion of the Zhoubi Suanjing c. 50 BC: Music theorist Jing Fang computes the 53 equal temperaments c. 1 AD: Liu Xin used decimal fractions, and approximated pi as 3.1457 78 – 139 AD: Zhang Heng writes the Suan Wang Lun, approximated pi as 730/232 179 CE: Finalization of the Jiuzhang Suanshu, which includes the earliest use of Horner’s method and Gaussian elimination |- | Three Kingdoms ' '三國 ' '(220 – 280 AD) | c. 225 – 295 AD: Liu Hui wrote the Jiuzhang Suanshu Commentary and Haidao Suanjing, approximated pi as 3927/1250, applied the Cavalieri Principle for calculating volumes, provided geometric proofs by dissection |- | Jin ' '晉 (265 – 420 AD) | c. 3rd – 5th centuries AD: Sun Zi, author the Sunzi Suanjing, which included the earliest surviving source of galley division algorithm, and the Chinese remainder problem |- | North and South Dynasties ' '南北朝 ' '(420 – 581 AD) | 429 – 500 AD: Zu Chongzhi computed the bound 3.1415926 < pi < 3.1415927 and gave the approximation 355/133 for pi c. 450 AD: Obscure mathematicians Zhang Qiujian and Xiahou Yang authored the Zhang Qiujian Suanjing and Xiahou Yang Suanjing 450 – 520 AD: Zu Geng, with his father Zu Chongzhi, found the precise formula for the volume of the sphere and co-authored the Zhui Shu |- | Sui ' '隋 ' '(581 – 618 AD) | 544 – 610 AD: Liu Zhuo introduced quadratic interpolation in Chinese astronomy |- | Tang ' '唐 ' '(618 – 907 AD) | 580 – 640 AD: Wang Xiaotong, author of Jigu Suanjing, provided solutions to certain cubic and quartic equations 602 – 670 AD: '''Li Chunfeng annotated ten mathematical texts for the imperial curriculum '''683 – 727 AD: '''Yi Xing calculated the number of configurations on a Go board '''c. 720 AD: Gautama Siddha translates of Indian astronomical treatises, and the introduction of trigonometric ratios into Chinese mathematics |- | Five Dynasties ' '五代十國 (907 – 979 AD) | |- | Song ' '宋 (960 – 1279 AD) | c. 1010 – 1070 AD: 'Jia Xian discovered the binomial theorem and Pascal’s triangle to extend Horner’s method for solving polynomials of degree ''n > 3 '''1031 – 1095 AD: Shen Kuo recorded his studies on finite series, combinatorics, and spherical trigonometry in the Mengxi Bitan 1192 – 1279 AD: 'Li Ye, author of the ''Ceyuan Haijing, develops the Tianyuan algebra to solve geometry problems that reduce to polynomial equations '''1202 – 1261 AD: Qin Jiushao, author of the Shushu Jiuzhang, generalized the Chinese remainder theorem and Horner’s method 1238 – 1298 AD: 'Yang Hui wrote several math texts on magic squares, magic circles, and advocated for mathematical proofs of theorems and algorithms |- | '''Yuan ' '元 ' '(1279 – 1368 AD) ' | '''1231 – 1316 AD: '''Guo Shoujing introduced cubic interpolation and spherical trigonometry into Chinese astronomy '1249 – 1314 AD: '''Zhu Shijie authored the ''Suanxue Qimeng and Siyuan Yujian, regarded as the highest achievement of ancient Chinese algebra 'c. 1300 AD: '''Introduction of Islamic mathematics and astronomy into China |- | '''Ming ' '''明 (1368 – 1644 AD) ''' | '''1533 – 1606 AD: Cheng Dawei, author of the Suanfa Tongzong, ''greatly influenced Japanese mathematics in the 17th century '''1536 – 1611 AD: '''Zhu Zaiyu computed the 12 equal temperaments '''c. 1600 AD:' Introduction of Western mathematics via Jesuits |- | Qing ' '清 (1644 – 1911 AD) | 1652 AD: '''Jesuits introduce logarithms to the Qing court '''1692 – 1763 AD: Ming Antu, the first person in China to study infinite series, and the first discoverer of Catalan numbers '''1811 – 1882 AD: '''Li Shanlan develops transcendental functions, infinite series, and combinatorics from ancient Chinese mathematics |} Category:Science and Technology in East Asia Category:History of Math and Science Category:History of Math